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What is Terrality?
What is Terrality?
Terrality is a weather visualization application that allows scientists to visualize and analyze their weather datasets in virtual reality (VR). Virtual reality is a powerful medium that allows users to be immersed in simulated virtual worlds. Typically, many weather datasets are analyzed through two-dimensional figures and diagrams. However, this can pose a challenge for intuitively understanding three-dimensional phenomena, especially for meteorologists in training. With the power of virtual reality, Terrality can visualize both two-dimensional and three-dimensional gridded atmospheric and oceanic data on a virtual globe controllable by the user. In this way, users can intuitively see one-to-one models of their data and use a variety of tools to analyze their data.
El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Visualization
El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Visualization
The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a natural pattern that involves periodic variations in sea surface temperatures and atmospheric pressure across the tropical Pacific Ocean. It has two main phases: El Niño, when ocean waters near the equator are warmer than average, and La Niña, when they are cooler than average. These changes disrupt normal weather patterns, leading to impacts such as droughts, heavy rains, and shifts in global temperatures.
Given ENSO's broad impact on weather around the world, we aimed to visualize its distinct properties using Terrality. We utilized data from various gridded datasets provided by the NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory. Our visualization highlights anomalies in sea surface temperature, wind stress vectors, thermocline, precipitation, and outgoing longwave radiation.
El Niño & La Niña Diagrams
El Niño & La Niña Diagrams
Each of the following diagrams was visualized and generated with Terrality. They feature El Niño and La Niña phases at different locations and times in history.
Supercell Visualization
Supercell Visualization
A supercell thunderstorm is a powerful and long-lived type of thunderstorm distinguished by its rotating updraft, known as a mesocyclone. This rotation is driven by wind shear, where wind speed and direction change with altitude. Supercells often produce severe weather, including large hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes, and are characterized by a towering anvil-shaped cloud and a well-defined structure. While they occur infrequently, their ability to sustain themselves for hours makes them among the most dangerous and fascinating storm systems.
Furthermore, Supercell thunderstorms have unique patterns and features that can be seen when examining radar cross sections. One of the most prominent features is the V Notch, which is a V-shaped notch located in the downwind region of a thunderstorm echo. It is most often with supercell thunderstorms. Other noteworthy radar features are the hook echo and the bounded weak echo region (BWER).
We set out to use Terrality to visualize a supercell thunderstorm's unique three-dimensional structure and unique radar features. To do so, we utilized three-dimensional reflecivity datasets provided by the Multi-Radar/Multi-Sensor System (MRMS) from the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL).
By Kelvinsong - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25259965
NOAA
Supercell Visualization
Supercell Visualization
The following are various diagrams generated from the supercell visualization within Terrality. We utilized techniques like volume ray-marching to visualize the three-dimensional radar data provided by the MRMS.
Supercell.mp4
Radar cross-section provided by the MRMS Product Viewer.
A radar cross-section reconstructed by Terrality.
A vertical cross-section of the supercell thunderstorm produced using Terrality's cut tool.
A supercell V-Notch outlined within the radar-cross section.
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